A raindrop for mikunicchi!

[stormies]

Title: Smart foxes do not fall in love
Pairing(s): Matsumiya, Yama
Genres: AU, romance, supernatural (Japanese folklore)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Nino wasn't ready for his life to change. But sometimes change isn't so bad.
Warning(s): none
Author's notes: Hi Mikunicchi! I loved writing this fic for you, I enjoyed it a lot! I hope you like it too. Funny story: I couldn't stop thinking about one of the prompts you proposed since I first read it. It was a simple image at first, and ended up with the main plot in my head after a few days. So, when my assignment came in and I saw your name, I was very happy. Thank you for the idea and the opportunity to write this story.

Thanks to my beta who did a great job. This fic wouldn’t be the same without you.

And thanks to Stormy staff for organizing the exchange. It was my first time in a fic exchange, but my experience was great, so I hope it won't be the last one.

He couldn't believe it was happening again. He had been left behind by the people he trusted. No, it was worse than that. He had been abandoned by the family he loved. It happened when he was barely a teenager. His mother was too poor, weak, and too ill to take care of him, especially in a world where people like them were starting to disappear.

Not many humans still respected ancient creatures, and most magical beings were chased, haunted, and sold for rich people's pleasure. He had listened to old stories of kitsunes like him worshipped and even living in temples where humans provided them food and gifts, but all he knew since he was a child was to fear humans and hide his true nature from them. That's why he couldn't really blame his mother for running away and leaving him behind. But it wasn't the same with Sho. He would never forgive him.

They met when he was 15. Sho found him wandering on the surroundings of the forest next to his house. He was a kitsune too, but they couldn’t be more different. Sho came from a traditional family of respectable guardian foxes in charge of an important Inari temple. Sho had everything he never had: money, studies, and a place to belong. He was smart, polite, kind, and… well, everybody said Sho was sexy, so he supposed he was. Sho had all anyone could dream of, and that's why he didn't trust him at first when he gently tried to bring him home.

"You know? I have a spare room with a warm and fluffy bed, so you don't need to sleep outside for another night. Dinner is ready and it looks delicious," Were the first words Sho threw at him with a smile on his face and a deep but soft voice.

Nothing happened for free and Sho would want something in return, he was sure of that. But… he was so tired. How many years had he been alone? Cold streets, frozen forests, stolen food… and endless loneliness. Wouldn’t it be nice pretending to have an ordinary life for one night, even if he had to pay for it later?

"Well, it would be stupid to let good and warm food get cold, so I guess I can go with you," Nino muttered as if he was the one doing him a great favor. 

Sho laughed and started walking towards the sand road, waving his two tails happily. "Thank you. I am Sho. Does my magnanimous companion have a name?"

He doubted. He wasn't planning to stay, but telling his name didn't seem like a high risk. "You can call me Nino," he said finally.

Nino had never been so wrong in his life. The moment he walked into Sho’s house, he couldn't leave. The first thing he saw after opening the door was the happy, smiling face of a teenager. He was probably his age.

“So Sho-chan found you!" the boy shouted, jumping on him and hugging him so happy that he even lifted him from the floor. "I'm Aiba. Welcome home," he greeted him with a friendly smile.

Nino was surprised and lost, not only for the unexpectedly warm welcome but even for a strange smell that was reaching his nostrils. So, he asked, "What's that smell?"

“What’s that smoke?!” shouted Sho.

The alarm on Sho’s voice made Aiba turn his head to see the thick and dark smoke column coming out of the kitchen’s door. He shouted too and ran into the kitchen, and suddenly a lot of messy noises came from there. Sho rushed there, and Nino followed him out of curiosity.

The kitchen was a disaster. Some dark liquid – Nino supposed it was broth – was spilled all over the floor with veggies floating here and there. Aiba was sitting in the middle with a frying pan in one hand and some sort of cloth in the other. His kimono was totally messy and showed more than allowed.

"It hurts," Aiba complained, dropping the rag.

His hand was red and probably burnt, and Sho seemed to panic the moment he saw it, quickly moving towards him, just to slip with the soup and fall down ridiculously. Aiba got scared and dropped the pan with the meat that ended up all over the floor. No, that was not a disaster, Nino corrected himself. That was total chaos, and Nino couldn't help but roar with laughter.

“Well, my idea of a delicious meal is not the same as yours, Sho-chan," he said with a grin as we walked inside the room. "Let me help. I'm not good at cooking, but at least I can finish without destroying the kitchen."

During dinner, Nino learned a few things about them. That Aiba-chan was no more and no less than a happy and innocent kid easy to make fun of. That Sho was as mature and cool as clumsy, in a way that made him kinda cute. They both seemed so transparent that he stopped doubting about any second intention and relaxed for the first time in ages. When he was going to bed, he decided to stay for a few days. And the days became months, and months became years.

He got used to having Aiba around him, laughing, being noisy and hyperactive, and wanting to play with him a lot of silly games. He was a real pain in the ass for someone like him, who preferred to stay at home on his own, but Aiba was so excited to share everything with him that it was impossible to resist him. And that gave Nino a lot of chances to pull Aiba’s leg, which was funny enough itself. Before he realized it, Aiba became his best friend, and he felt so comfortable with him that he never thought of leaving.

Something similar happened with Sho. Indeed, it was different because those two were nothing alike, but Sho was easy to talk to, and somehow his very presence gave him calm. He became someone he could trust, someone like a big brother. That kind of brother you need to keep an eye on though because he can become a big dork at the most unexpected moment, but still, someone he could totally rely on. Nino was unsure of the reason Sho had to adopt two orphan kitsunes like Aiba and him, but he was happy he did. At least until the moment of his betrayal.

Things had changed a bit lately, but that was fine with Nino. Aiba became a close friend of another boy called Kazama. They both shared interests out of Nino’s radar. Both were considering becoming guardian foxes at the temple Sho’s family protected. Nino had no interest in it, so he was happy that Aiba found someone else to study with. He also didn’t try to make him join the annoying lessons at the temple. The real problems started when Sho met that human.

Nino didn’t even know how it happened, nor even much about who he was. He knew he was a fisherman in the village on the other side of the river and that he had a pretty voice. Or that's what Sho said, that he felt totally moved when he listened to him singing while picking up his fishing net.

Sho started visiting the village more often, spending days with him, and finally even staying out a few nights. That was fine for him, Nino wasn't jealous, but what Aiba told him tonight… He was not willing to believe it. Not unless it was coming out of Sho’s mouth. He slammed the door loudly and headed towards the village, not even paying attention that he had not taken a haori to protect him from the cold weather.

He had been several times at the village with Aiba when both were younger. They liked to play and prank humans there, so he knew where the fishermen usually kept their boats. It was almost sunset, so they shouldn't take long to come back. And there they were.

Sho had a gentle and sweet smile on his face as he looked at the man. The human was not tall, he had to be the same height as Nino. His skin was tan, probably due to long hours of fishing. He wore a rustic gray kimono and brown pants. The only thing that stood out of him was his dark hair, which was perfectly in place. Wasn't he supposed to have spent hours on the boat with that damn cold wind?

Nino tried to arrange a bit his messy bangs, but it seemed useless, so he let them float wherever they wanted as he walked straight towards the men. Sho returned him a calmed glance as if he was not surprised to see him there.

"So, Aiba told you," he muttered. "I wanted to tell you myself."

But it couldn’t be helped. After all, they were talking about Aiba. The same innocent, obvious, and airhead kid he picked up almost 30 years ago. He had always been a chatterbox, so it was no surprise he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Maybe Sho shouldn't have told Aiba first, but he went to the temple daily, so he asked him to talk with the monks to arrange the ceremony. It was just a matter of convenience. And honestly speaking… He didn't want to be there when his father listened to the news.

"So, it is true," Nino spoke with no voice as he stepped back. For a second, he felt like that little boy abandoned by his mom, but he quickly turned that feeling of loss into anger. He looked at the human, half-closed eyes, lips pressed in a fine line, no expression on his face. "It's your fault," Nino accused him in a deep, low voice. "You appeared from nowhere and turned Sho’s world upside down without considering anything. Do you realize how much harm you have done?"

The human, who had stayed calm and practically half-asleep until now, suddenly changed to a serious expression. “Listen. I know dating a man is not the most usual thing, but I do not think we are doing any harm to anyone."

Nino frowned. Was that human an idiot? Who was talking about such a stupid and insignificant detail? "Who cares if you are a man? I mean, you are going to take his life, and you don't even care about it!" Nino shouted helplessly. 

The human was so surprised by the words that he looked totally clueless. "What is he talking about, Sho?” he asked softly.

Sho made a gesture, trying to play down what Nino said as if it was nothing. "Don't worry, Ohno. He’s only acting like a brat," Sho answered before turning to look at Nino. "You'll understand if you ever fall in love."

Nino opened his eyes widely. That meant that Sho hadn’t explained Ohno what he was planning to do. He felt a little guilty for accusing the human for no reason, but he didn't apologize. Instead, he stared at Sho, silent for a long and tense moment. "You have to tell him," was all he said before turning around and running away.

He hid in the woods. That’s what he did when he was a teenager and had nowhere to go, so that’s where he felt sheltered and protected. He couldn’t believe Sho was ready to give up his magic nature to be with that man. That ceremony… After that, he would live no longer than a human, grow old at the same time as Ohno and die with him. Why did he choose to do something so stupid? He could live a life with that human and then bury him, forget him, and go on. Nino couldn’t understand him, and was definitely not interested in doing that, much less in falling in love.

Nino curled up at the bottom of a thick tree, hugging himself, trying to warm up. He didn't have the strength to go home and face Aiba, or Sho, or who knows, maybe even that stupid human, so he decided to sleep there despite the cold. He was barely able to sleep though, thinking about how he was losing his family again, about how humans kept stealing all that was important for him.

He tried to think what was so good about them but couldn’t come up with anything. No, Nino definitely didn't like humans, so when he woke up in the morning, he was convinced that the only thing humans were good for was making fun of them. So that's what he did.

He headed to the village and started playing around. It was early in the morning, so a lot of women were airing the futons and sheets. Nino had a good time hiding and moving them around, and driving the whole neighborhood crazy trying to find their belongings. He later went to the market and made a big mess, then moved to one of the main roads where old men were playing shogi and changed all the pieces, and played anywhere he could. But he wasn't feeling any better. Not a surprise as he was annoyed at Sho’s human, and none of the tricks he did was against him.

He suddenly remembered something Sho explained about Ohno. He was the one who brought the fish and seafood to the local lord. Ah, that would be perfect, to spoil all the food and watch the Big Man get mad at him.

It was easy for someone like him to sneak into the garden. The place was big enough to get lost, but he sniffed the air and found the kitchen easily. There was a lot of movement there, so he took a little time to study the situation. He could be rash sometimes and may have no interest in social status or rules, but he knew very well he shouldn't be caught at the lord's house.

He was starting to get bored, but then the dinner was almost finished, and everybody suddenly disappeared. It was a little suspicious, that sudden silence. He was still thinking of a possible reason when he saw a little girl appearing from the bushes.

She walked half-hidden towards the kitchen and grabbed a freshly baked bun and some pieces of fruit just to run away. So, it was a trap, Nino understood, his eyes moving around the site to look for whatever they have prepared. He saw the net just the second before the girl stepped into it, without even time for a whisper of warning. The little girl got tangled and screamed in fear.

"Well, not my problem." Nino thought. He gave her a final glance before leaving, and that was the worst he could do. He realized how small she looked. She was dirty, skinny, and her kimono was totally torn at the hem. She was clearly a homeless kid and reminded him so much of the child he once was.

"Damn it," he thought as his body moved by itself.

He would only help her to get rid of the net and would disappear afterward. He could move faster than any human, so it should be easy. But the girl got scared the moment he touched her and started moving and curling like crazy. Nino could listen to movements and sounds from the kitchen, so he understood that he only got a few seconds left. He lifted the net, and the girl pushed him away with a deafening scream. Before Nino knew what was happening, he fell on the floor with the net on top of him.

"Perfect. That's what happens when you try to be a good boy," he sharply said to himself, quickly moving his nimble fingers to get rid of that damn rope. Not the first time he got trapped in a hunter's net, so he knew how to escape. Only, he had no time to do it. He’d just found the edge of the net when he felt the cold of a blade against his neck.

"Calm down Toma. He is just a kid," said a voice at his back.

A kid? Nino was not pleased at all. It was the second time he listened to something similar in the last two days, and he was a man, almost in his thirties. But if this could help him to get rid of the problem he was in, he was more than happy to take advantage of it, and lie. He gave that Toma his best puppy eyes and hoped to be released.

"Child or adult, he’s still a thief, so we can't just let him get away with it, Matsumoto-san” the man replied.

Matsumoto-san? Nino stared at the man in front of him. So, he was the big boss. He expected the lord to be a middle-aged man, but that Matsu-kid was probably his age.

"People stealing food are not thieves, Toma. They are starving," Matsumoto corrected him. His words may seem kind, but the tone was strict. He didn't seem to be willing to be contradicted.

"Still, we cannot allow people to steal here and leave as nothing happened," he dared to reply. 

Matsumoto stopped in front of Nino and studied him. “It must be hard for you two living on the streets," he said.

Nino tried not to show in his expression how wrong the man was. You two? Of course, they saw the girl and thought both were in the same situation. Not to blame him, since Nino had slept in the forest, so his hair and clothes should be a mess.

He decided to take advantage of the men's mistake. "It's really hard, Sir, for my sister and me. If you could show us mercy, I would be very grateful," he asked with his most pitiful voice.

He could hear Toma groaning, clearly unhappy with the situation. But Matsumoto was a man accustomed to giving orders, not listening to others, so he totally ignored him.

“Let’s see. We have two options here. I can offer you a job, and you can get food and money for you and your sister, so no more stealing. Or I can let you go, but if I ever see you again wandering around my lands, I'll send you to prison without a blink," Matsumoto proposed. He gave the boy some seconds to think about his proposal. “What’s gonna be your choice?”

Nino didn't need much time to decide. He was still annoyed at Sho and didn't want to come back home. He had nowhere to go, and staying there seemed like a better option than sleeping in the forest again, at least while the weather was so cold. Besides, by staying there, sooner or later, he would run into Ohno so he could play a trick on him.

He restrained the smirk that wanted to appear on his lips and muttered in a soft voice, "I'd like to work for you, Sir."

"Bring him inside," Matsumoto ordered, and Nino found himself free from the net. However, Toma didn’t look so pleased, so he held one of Nino's arms tightly as they walked inside the house.

"I don't think you've thought through what you’re doing, Jun," said Toma as they entered a big room. The way he spoke to the lord changed to a more informal one as they entered the private place. There was another man there who turned curiously to see what was going on. "What do you exactly expect from a useless kid?"

"Give him to Shun. He'll find something for him," Jun said calmly.

“Give me what?” asked Shun, standing from the chair to join them.

"This," was the simple reply of Toma, pushing Nino towards him. Shun barely had time to catch him so the boy didn't fall. "Jun wants you to take care of him."

“To take care?!” Shun was trying to process the words. “What the hell, Jun. What I am supposed to do with… that?!” complained as he pointed at Nino.

"Well, first… You can give him a bath. He stinks," Jun complained.

Did he stink? Nino tried to smell his own chest but noticed nothing, probably because he had been all day running here and there and got used to his own smell. He was about to say that he could bathe alone, but they were still arguing, and he thought it was entertaining.

"I'm not going to wash anyone. Don't you have maids to do that?" was Shun's sharp reply.

"He is a boy," said Jun.

"Yeah, but I'm quite sure the maids won't be alarmed by bathing a boy," Shun argued again.

Jun took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and Nino took good note of two things. First, it was easy to make him lose his temper, and second, he was not as scary as he pretended to be. Well, at least he seemed to have a funny “master”.

"I'm not interested in your opinion," Jun cut him off, "So take him and…." Suddenly Jun's answer was interrupted because Toma had lost his patience and took a pitcher, removed the flowers, and poured all the water over Nino with no warning. And a lot of things happened at that very moment.

"See? It wasn't that hard," said Toma at the same time that Shun angrily shouted because he was totally soaked. Meanwhile, Jun complained about how cold the water was because some drops fell on him. But the most shocking reaction came from Nino.

Jun was right, the water was fucking cold, and as he didn't expect anything like that, his body reacted alone. His fox ears and tail instinctively appeared, enhancing his senses to face the non-existent threat. He realized a second too late and tried to cover his ears, but there was nothing to be done since obviously everyone had already seen them.

"What the...!" Shun cried as he jumped back. Toma stared at him with eyes wide open, and Jun… Jun had an internal struggle, trying not to look absolutely mesmerized by the tail wagging at Nino's back. Because he was a grown man, so of course, he wasn't interested in soft-looking wavy tails.

Toma was the first one to recover. He cleared his throat, trying to get composure back. "Despite I don't like the situation… I agree. It's better if he stays here. There are people hunting creatures like him and selling them in the city." Toma frowned as he looked at Nino's tail as if it was a big problem he didn't want to deal with. "So find him a bed," he said to Shun.

“Wait, is he staying in the house?” Shun didn’t look pleased with the idea. 

"Of course, he's staying. Jun's not going to bring a guy home, to offer him a job and throw him out to sleep on the street a minute later," he turned to look at Jun. "Are you?" he asked. The sudden silence caused Toma to raise an eyebrow as Jun's face remained as impassive as possible.

The three of them realized Jun hadn't really thought about what to do with Nino, but when he stuck his chin out and muttered an annoyed “Of course I'm not," everybody pretended nothing happened. 

“Told ya. Find him a bed. And good luck," insisted Toma.

Shun was not at disposal to babysit anyone, much less a kitsune that he didn't even know what could do to him. “I don’t want to be in charge of him. What if he possesses me?”

"They only possess women," was Toma's curt reply.

Shun smiled. “So, you know a lot about kitsunes," he said, and Toma nodded in satisfaction. "And you are the captain of the guard." This time, Toma seemed doubtful. Shun was heading somewhere, and he couldn't see where. "Well, you know about him, and you can protect him. I can't think of a better place for him to stay than with you." He smiled as he gently pushed Nino towards his friend. "Good luck," he said back.

It was clear none of them wanted the responsibility, and Jun was getting tired of it.

"Listen, I've given an order to you, so find him a place to stay. I don't have time for this, I've got a lot of work to do and a village to run,” Jun said and, without waiting for a reply, he left the room.

“A village to run? At dinner time?” Nino asked as he wrinkled his nose.

"He is kind of a workaholic. Don't ask," replied Shun.

Nino ate with the two men, who turned out to be Jun's best friends, and after chatting a bit, Nino realized both were quite nice. After dinner, Toma showed him his room. It was… bare. Not that he needed big luxuries, but he expected more in a house like that. However, Toma slept with the guards, and he wanted to keep him close, so Nino ended in that small, empty, and simple room.

He sat on the futon and pouted. What made that boring lord think he could stare at his tail like that and then ignore him? No, that was not funny at all. He waited some minutes until the sounds around him started to fade and silently left the room. The corridors were nearly empty so it was easy to follow the smells to find Jun's bedroom. He didn't give the impression to have a Matsumoto Lady, so Nino entered without knocking on the door.

Jun was so focused on whatever he was doing that he didn't even realize his intrusion. Nino took a few minutes to observe him. Jun was moving his hand quickly, writing something in a kind of messy way, as if he feared to forget what he wanted to note if he was not quick enough. His broad shoulders leaned towards the table, so close that Nino asked himself if he could see properly. Jun's hair was rather short, so he could see pretty well the strong neck and the suggestive moles perfectly placed here and there. He blinked twice, trying not to get distracted by how handsome that man was, and closed the door a little stronger than necessary to make noise and get his attention.

"So, this is your room, Jun-pon," said Nino happily as he finally entered the room.

Jun jumped on the chair and turned back. Nino was there, no traces of his animal tail or ears under the clean yukata or combed hair.

"What are you doing—" he started asking, but his brain processed the stupid pet name he had just used, so he frowned in annoyance. "Why are you calling me like that?" he questioned, crossing his arms on his chest.

“Eh? Those two men kept calling you Jun, so I thought it was your name," Nino answered as if he was confused over his possible mistake.

“It’s my name, but only the people closest to me call me like that," he sharply replied. "And what's with that -pon?" he then objected.

“It’s the word that comes just after the Jun one," replied Nino, offering him a wide, innocent smile.

For a moment, Jun didn’t know how to react. Did he really just call him Jun-pon and not regret it? Did he know he was the lord of that land? People called him Matsumoto-sama. A few people Matsumoto-san. Only very selected friends used his name.

"Look, people at home call me Matsumoto-san, got it?" he said, trying to be patient.

"Got it," Nino obediently replied. He waited until Jun came back to his work or whatever he was writing on that paper. "But I am not ‘people’, Jun- pon," he whispered, humming his pet name as he smirked.

Jun turned around to stare at him anything but friendly, but if Nino realized he couldn't be less concerned about his anger. That made his left eyebrow jump in a sort of tic, he wasn't used to be ignored like that. Most people showed him respect by his name only, and anyone could easily see he was short-tempered, so people hardly contradicted him.

Nino, on the other hand… Nino was freely wandering around his bedroom, as if Jun was not there, curiously looking at his decorations, touching everything, and leaving nothing in its place. Jun tried to be patient. The boy was raised on the streets, he remembered himself. Possibly he had never seen that sort of thing, so… Wait, was he opening one of his work notebooks?

"Oi," Jun said, only to realize a minute later he didn’t even know how to call him. "Don't touch that. It's work. And you haven't told me your name yet."

"You can call me Nino," he replied, making a mental note of what to touch when he wanted to annoy Jun.

"Nino? Is that even a name?" Jun was still amused by how he talked to him as if he was talking to… Well, to anyone who was not Matsumoto Jun. Couldn’t he at least show a bit of respect and gave him his full name?

"That's what everybody calls me."

"I'm not ‘everyone’ either," Jun pointed out clearly, as that boy didn't seem to understand.

Nino laughed. Jun was quite cute, frowning and pretending to look threatening. He meant… Jun was the lord of that land. He could be selfish, abusive, and mistreat everybody he wanted with no consequences. But there he was, taking a supposed homeless boy in his house and trying to be patient with his lack of respect. He was softer and more warm-hearted than he pretended, and Nino could totally see through him. "My name is Ninomiya Kazunari, but call me Nino. That's what people close to me call me."

“We’re not friends, so Ninomiya-kun should be enough." Jun was so distracted with their chat that he totally forgot he entered his room without permission until Nino's response.

“But if I’m sleeping here, we should be at least friends, don’t you think, Jun-pon?”

It took all Nino's strength not to burst out laughing at Jun's face. He gave him an innocent smile, pretending that Jun wasn't giving him a dirty look.

What the… Jun couldn’t believe how cheeky Nino was. What was wrong with him? Everyone could see at first glance he was not an approachable person. Also, that he didn’t like others intruding on his personal space. Did Nino lack common sense or just didn't care? It didn't even matter cause he had been patient enough. He stood up and moved towards him, with intentions of kicking him out.

"Not in a million years I'm allowing you to sleep here," he assured, taking Nino's arm and pushing him to the door.

But Nino knew what to do. He pouted as he let his ears and tail appear, looking away as he wagged his tail. "But your bed looks warmer and fluffier than the one Toma gave me," he muttered, slowly moving his tail left and right, "You won't even notice I’m here,” he touched Jun’s arm with his tail totally on purpose while pretending nothing happened.

No, he was not going to let himself be fooled by that fox tail, no matter how soft and cute it looked. Damn it, was he pretending to trick himself? He loved animals, but as animals didn't like him he never had many chances to pet them. Jun cleared his throat. "Ok. Only for tonight. Tomorrow we'll find you a better bed," he replied as dignified as possible.

Nino smiled openly, totally satisfied that he got what he wanted. He jumped on Jun's bed and made himself comfortable. Jun still had some work to do, so Nino was distracted by the hanafuda cards Jun had on the nightstand. He stacked them, mixed them up, and kept practicing tricks until he found the selected card. It was easy, and after a while, he realized he could probably use his skills to scam the villagers in the tavern and make money from it.

Jun finally finished his work, or maybe he just got too tired to continue, so he went to bed. Since Nino was on the left side of the bed, Jun went around it to enter the bed from the right. The bed was big enough for both of them to sleep without even touching each other, and Jun was about to turn off the light when he saw with the corner of his eye Nino's wagging tail.

He was distracted with the cards, so he probably didn't notice Jun staring at him. No, he wasn't going to ask him, he told himself. But... Would he get another chance to feel the soft touch of the fox's fur? Before he knew it, he had cleared his throat and asked in a low, slightly shy voice, "Can... Can I... touch it?"

Nino took a long second before opening his mouth, and when he did, Jun wished he had never done. "I didn't expect you to be so shameless the first night, Jun-pon. Shouldn't we date first?" he questioned with a mischievous smile.

Jun tried to shoot him a murderous look, which was totally useless as he had blushed heavily and didn't know how to react. After a few moments of intense shyness, he grimaced angrily and dropped onto the bed. "Forget it," was all he added before turning off the light and covering himself with the sheets. Nino chuckled as he covered himself up as well.

--

Morning came, and Nino lazily opened his eyes only to realize by the amount of light in the room that it must be quite late. He hadn't slept so well in a long time, but that bed was the most comfortable he had ever touched, and… Well, sometime during the night, he got close to Jun, and the warmth of his body was really nice. It would be great if he could sleep like this again…

Not that he was interested in Jun, but the thing Nino was most afraid of was being left alone, and it felt good that Jun didn't kick him out no matter how hard he tried to make him lose his temper the night before.

Jun was still sleeping, so he took the chance to study him. He was handsome, no doubt. He had long eyelashes, perfect cheekbones, and full lips. And what happened with his moles? All of them seemed perfectly placed to tempt. He was totally distracted when the door opened.

"Aren't we waking up today?" Shun was asking in a loud voice when he suddenly realized Jun was not alone. He was so surprised that he even jumped one step back. "Jun, when you told me to find a job for him, I didn’t think you meant… well, THAT job," he shouted in surprise.

Jun moaned as he sat on the bed, trying to put his brain on work. "It's not that," he grumbled at his friend, who, judging by his expression, didn't believe it at all. Not to blame Shun, as Nino was practically on top of him with his yukata half-undone. "Tell him," he ordered with no patience.

"Well, Jun told me he wanted to touch me," Nino muttered in a fake innocent voice.

Too much for him. Jun hit Nino’s head while the kitsune burst into laughter. Shun shook his head. No, he didn’t want to know. Those two were getting along quite well, so he honestly didn't want to know how or why. "I'll ask the maids to prepare breakfast for two," was all he said before leaving them alone.

--

A few days passed, and if someone had asked Jun, he'd swear over and over that he didn't know how it happened. But Nino ended up sleeping with him every single night. One night he complained he couldn't sleep in his room because the window didn't close properly and the room was too cold. Another one said he didn't like storms and felt better if someone was with him. The third one assured there were weird noises in his bedroom, and at the end, Jun stopped asking and simply lifted his sheets so Nino could slide inside.

It was probably the second or third week Nino stayed there. Maybe the fourth, as he was not keeping track of the days. He was messing up around Jun as usual. Jun had just finished some boring meeting with merchants of the village and was headed to the kitchen.

"Long time no see," Jun said in a soft and friendly voice to someone.

"Yeah… A lot of things were happening," was the evasive reply.

Nino recognized the voice before entering the kitchen and seeing the man. It was Ohno, the fisherman that Sho fell in love with. He had been so distracted with Jun that he had totally forgotten he was staying there so he could play some dirty trick on him. Ohno saw him and opened his eyes wide while pointing at him.

"It's you!" he exclaimed. He quickly recovered his calm self, but his eyes had a shadow of anger as he looked at Nino. "You should tell Sho you are here. He's very worried because he doesn't even know if you are okay," he accused.

“Well, you can see I'm fine. You can tell him yourself," Nino replied coldly.

For a moment, an awkward and tense silence filled the room.

“I have not seen him since that day," Ohno finally explained. "He tried to meet me, but I didn't want to. I’m not going to see him again. Not after he told me everything. How could I…?” the man whispered, totally losing his voice as he talked.

It was Nino’s turn to feel uncomfortably surprised. “You haven’t… What?” He didn’t look pleased at all, as much as he wanted to make Ohno feel bad and guilty when he accused him that day.

"You may not believe me, but I only want the best for Sho. And it seems the best is to stay away from me… So he can forget me," Ohno muttered in a sad voice.

No, that's not what he wanted, and he didn't even know how to feel about the disaster he had caused. Nino didn't react without thinking very often, but when it happened, it always turned into a big mess. And now what? Was he supposed to be the one to save the situation?

"I thought you would be happy," Ohno said when the silence became too long.

"I didn't ask you to do that!" were the words that came out of his mouth when he opened it.

Nino didn't know why he ran away like that, but before he could realize he was locked in Jun's room. Yes, he had his own room at the end of the same corridor, but somehow… he felt better there.

He sat on the carpet and started playing with the cards, a habit he got while waiting for Jun to finish his work and turn off the light. Only this time, he was so annoyed that he was unable to track the card he had chosen, and the constant mistakes were not helping his mood at all.

Several minutes passed before he heard the door. Sure it was Jun, no one else dared to go in there, but Nino didn't want to face him, so he kept playing with the cards. Jun sat next to him and waited a few seconds before losing his patience. He didn't like being ignored, so he took the cards and throw them away. Nino pouted and laid his back on the bed.

“Wanna talk?” Jun softly asked.

"No," Nino could hear the grunt Jun contained in his throat as clear as if he had let it go, but still, he didn't say a word.

"I didn't know you met Oh-chan. He’s an old and dear buddy," Jun tried again, but Nino was being stubborn, and Jun didn't like it at all.

He liked the smiling, mischievous Nino who had been wandering around him every day. The one who praised how well he ruled the village, the one who could give him unexpectedly clever advice, the one who could throw him a cute compliment, and spoil everything the next minute with his sharp and annoying tongue. Nino could be like a wild animal that needed to be tamed, but Jun preferred him tempting his patience than in that low mood. He couldn’t even understand why he was so pissed off. He was talking about someone with Ohno…

“And who’s that Sho you were talking about?” he asked sharply, tired of trying to get him to talk.

Nino slowly turned to look at him with the corner of his eye. Jun knew something was wrong when his lips started to turn into a smile. A smug lively one. "Are you jealous, Jun-pon?" he asked, getting up from the bed. “Don’t be,” he softly added.

Jun wanted to reply. He swore he was ready to tell him off and smack him with no mercy, but before he could do anything, Nino moved and pressed his lips against his. For a second, Jun could barely think. Did Nino just kiss him? He had probably imagined it, but he still could feel how soft and warm his touch felt. Not to talk about how Nino burst into laughter after seeing his face.

"Kazu!" he cried out angrily, deep breathing to calm himself down.

Nino was ready to push the joke a little further, but he totally froze when Jun called him like that. It was the first time Jun used his name and, yeah, he had shouted everything but friendly but still felt so warm, and so nice… He sighed. He couldn't avoid the conversation forever, so he ducked his head as if asking for forgiveness.

"Sho is… I suppose we can say he's my big brother," he explained. They had no blood ties, but he and Aiba had been his family for sure.

Somehow, Jun felt relieved. Wait a minute, did that mean he was really jealous? No way, it was just that Nino was finally talking to him, he corrected himself mentally. “So, you have a big brother and a little sister," Jun said, trying to imagine how his family was.

“A sister? What sister?”

"The one who was stealing with you the day we first met," Jun ventured, as lost as him.

"Ah!" Nino suddenly remembered he used her as an excuse and then totally forgot about it. He covered his face with both hands, trying to hide his blush as he gave Jun a guilty look. "I lied to you," he confessed.

"What the…!" Okay, Jun had enough. This time he smacked Nino’s head without a second thought and felt no regrets. "Behave!" he ordered.

"I will," Nino assured with a sincere smile.

Jun probably didn't realize, but Nino didn't overlook the detail. The reason why Jun hit him. He was more upset for the lie than the kiss, and Nino thought it was kind of sweet. He wouldn't mind doing it again, even if he was tempting his fate.

He took a long breath and explained to Jun a bit about his life. How he met Sho and Aiba, how their lives were happy until Sho fell in love. How stupid Sho was for falling in love with a human – although he didn't enter in details – and how stupid the human was for dumping Sho like that.

“And I guess now it's my turn to clean up this mess," he finally said. Jun nodded in agreement, so Nino considered his options a minute. "I will be out a couple of days, but I'll come back. Will you wait for me, Jun-kun?"

Why on earth should Jun wait for anyone? Why should he wait for Nino to come back? Nino was supposed to work for him, but the only thing he was doing was getting him on his nerves. He looked at Nino and… He was done. Nino was happily wagging his tail with the cutest smile on his face. And he was sincere, asking him to wait for him…

If Jun had learned anything about Nino during these days was that Nino called him Jun-pon when he wanted to play and make fun of him, but he called him Jun-kun instead when he was being sincere, and that would catch him off guard every time. And being true to himself… The house would be lonely and boring without him. So, "I will," he agreed.

"It's a promise," Nino whispered with his softest and charming voice.

He couldn’t see it coming, not until Nino kissed him again. He just blinked for a second, and Nino's mouth was against his. This time the kiss lasted a little longer, and he could even feel how Nino's lips moved to playfully catch his lower lip. Shouldn’t he push him aside? He probably should, but he had no time to react because Nino quickly jumped back, the mischievous smile again on his face.

“Can you please stop doing this?” Jun grumbled. No, he was not willing to admit that Nino made his heart jump like crazy, not unless he could convince himself the only reason was the surprise. "What the hell were you thinking about?"

“I was sealing our promise. Wasn't it obvious?" Nino pretended to sound innocent, but it was hard to contain the laughs.

No, Jun could not kill him. Even being the lord of those lands, a corpse in his room would be difficult to explain. “What about a pinky promise like normal people?” he complained, trying to control the crazy heartbeats in his chest.

“I told you. I’m not ‘people’, Jun-pon,” was Nino's mischievous reply.

Jun know it for sure from that very moment. He was totally at his mercy.

--

Nino looked at the house with displeasure. No, he didn't like to admit he did things wrong, so he usually tried to distract everybody from his mistakes. But this time, the mistake was too big and made him feel too guilty, so he found the courage to admit he made a mistake and then knocked on the door. Ohno was so surprised to see him there that he blinked twice to check Nino was not in his mind.

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked. He hesitated but finally allowed him to enter his house. "If you are looking for Sho-kun, I told you. He's not here." Ohno tried to look indifferent, but Nino could still feel the sadness in his voice.

"I've come for you. We're leaving." Not even waiting for a reply, Nino simply took his arm and pulled him outside.

“Wait, what? Where…? Let me at least close the door."

Ohno didn't even know why he was following Nino, but somehow, he felt comfortable with him, so he just walked by his side. He could feel Nino that wanted to say something, but he kept silent until they entered the woods.

“You know, Sho and Aiba-chan are my only family. I thought I would lose half of it because of you, but now... I think one can love many people in different ways," he whispered seriously. One second, did Jun's image just cross his mind? What's with that? Well, Jun had been taking care of him… Or something like that. But it wasn't as if he needed a new big brother, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Besides, he was probably older than Jun, so what was wrong with that stupid image of Jun in his head?

 “You mean you’ve fallen in love too?” he asked cautiously, in a voice as soft and low as the murmur of the waves.

"Eh? Of course not!" was Nino's quick reply. "Smart foxes do not fall in love," he assured. Not at least with humans, that was for sure. Why should he love Jun? Okay, it was fun to play with him. And it was also true that Jun made him feel at home again when Nino thought he was alone. Also, that he liked to spend time with him, but that was because he didn't have anything better to do.

Being honest to himself, Nino also had to admit that Jun looked handsome to him, but hey, that was a truth anyone could see. It was pure objectivity, nothing to do with feelings. Not to admit that Nino often discovered himself wondering if Jun had more of those sexy moles hidden on his body, but that was just because the ones he could see were perfectly in place. It was plain curiosity.

If he took a minute to think about it, he had to recognize that he liked to annoy Jun for the simple pleasure to attract his attention, but it was because he wanted to see how far he could push Jun until he lost his nerves. Yes, he had to admit that, since he met Jun, he was all day long in his mind, but the only reason was that Nino loved to tease him, definitely it had nothing to do with love.

"I've just been thinking about it and… I guess I am sorry," he muttered, so low that Ohno barely heard him.

Ohno’s laugh echoed in the silent forest. “Sho’s right, you're quite cute once you're known first hand." Nino pouted, but Ohno didn't stop laughing for a while. "So, Where are we going?" he could imagine, but he wasn't sure at all.

“My home. You should make up with Sho. I don't want the responsibility of your breakup, you know?" Nino complained.

Ohno sighed deeply. "It's not your fault, Nino. It’s mine. I never wanted Sho to do such a stupid thing as shortening his life for something as insignificant as me." He barely had ended talking when he felt an unexpected pain in his forehead. Did Nino… Did Nino just smack him? "Auch. What…?" Ohno wanted to complain but he simply pouted at Nino. "Hey, that's not the way to treat a senpai, you know?" he complained.

“I’m gonna treat you like this anytime you say silly things," Nino assured. No, Ohno was not insignificant. Not at least for Sho, and that made him a very important person, even if Nino knew little about him. "Besides, There's no way I see you as a senpai. We’re family. Got it?”

"Got it," agreed Ohno with a subtle blush.

They didn't talk much more, so Nino simply walked through that forest that looked all the same for Ohno until he could finally see the light of a house. That should be Sho’s. Only thinking about him made his heart skip a beat. It has been almost a month since the last time they met, and he missed him so badly… But what could he do?

“I don’t wanna see him," he muttered in a low voice, stopping, unable to take another step. Nino stared at him with eyes half-closed. "I'm not strong enough. I will totally fall into his arms if he asks me to be with him again."

"That’s good because that's the way things should be," was Nino’s calm reply.

"But…" Ohno wanted to complain, but Nino's face told him he was about to smack him again.

"Listen, we'll solve the problems one by one. The one we have now is that you two want to be together, so let's make things easy and start with that. We'll find a way not to turn your love into a potential danger for Sho. But that, later on."

Ohno nodded, so Nino opened the door as confident as if he never left. He stood a few seconds there, waiting for Aiba to jump on and hug him, but it was Sho who showed up instead.

“Aiba-cha... Nino!” Sho corrected himself as he saw Nino at the entrance. Well, it was not Aiba-chan, but Nino got Sho jumping and hugging him as if he hadn't seen him for ages. "I was so worried about you. Where were you?"

Nino couldn’t decide if Sho was telling him off or crying with relief. Probably not even Sho knew himself.

"I was kidnapped by an egocentric and fussy lord," Nino answered with a smirk.

Sho’s eyes grew so wide and so worried that Nino burst into laughter. "Just kidding. I got into a mess and decided to pay for it," he cleared up. Actually, he was not the one in a mess, but things got so entertaining that he forgot.

Sho looked the funniest with that confused expression on his face, and Nino felt tempted to tell him an unbelievable story, but he managed to control himself. "But we'll talk about it later. You have something more important to do now," Nino moved a bit so he could see Ohno, who stood insecure and nervous outside the house.

“Satoshi!” As soon as he heard his name, Ohno panicked and tried to run away. Sho instinctively caught his wrist and pulled him. "Sorry," he asked as soon as he realized. "But please, listen to me," Sho begged.

Ohno didn't answer but stayed there, so Sho took a deep breath and started talking. "I know you don't like my decision. It was not a sudden one. I've been thinking a lot about it. I've thought about how deep I've fallen in love with you and about how much I want to spend my whole life with you. And of course, it was inevitable to think about our different times to live. I thought about you getting old, and I don't want it. Don't get me wrong, I am sure you will be a sexy ojisan with interesting gray hair. I don't mind your age. But I don't want to lose you. I don't want to see how you fade until the day you die while I remain the same as today. As if you meant nothing in my life," Sho made a pause.

He had probably never talked so much about his feelings in his whole life, and he wasn’t comfortable baring his soul like this, but he wanted to be honest with Ohno. “I don’t want this because I can’t stand the idea of losing you like that, but if that’s what you ask me… I’ll do it.” Sho cautiously took Ohno’s hand. He wasn’t sure if he could, but he didn’t try to free himself from his grip, so Sho walked a step closer. “I’ll live a long and empty life missing you each day but please, stand by me," he softly asked, lowering his fox ears sadly.

“O… Okay." Ohno was so embarrassed that he could hardly look at him. "I want to spend my life with you too, Sho-kun. That's the only thing I know for sure. And about the other thing… We can talk about it later, maybe when I have some gray hair."

So soft… Ohno had forgotten how soft Sho's lips were. And how they made him feel butterflies in his stomach. No, he did not want to forget it again, so he'll make sure to kiss him every single day of his life, he promised himself. He allowed Sho to pull him inside the house, feeling his hands moving over his body in that endless kiss that was taking his breath away. Of course, he replied his attentions back and caressed him, feeling the strong muscles of Sho’s back as he tried to take off his yukata.

"Ahem. Do you two guys remember you are not alone at home?" Nino's voice made both jump and break about one meter apart, staring at him totally ashamed. "Please, keep that kind of thing for your bedroom, at least while I am still here," Nino complained as if he was scandalized. It didn't come across as very believable because they could both see the smile he was trying to hide, but they still felt embarrassed.

“So… Are you two staying at home tonight? I can prepare dinner,” Sho drastically changed the conversation.

After a moment of silence, the three of them laughed, and they moved to the kitchen. Nino smiled to himself, thinking that it felt like a family again. Only Aiba was missing for the moment to be perfect. And maybe one day he could invite Jun.

Oh, Jun would complain, saying he was too busy, but he would come at the end with that look of superiority on his face, as if he was doing him a favor. Yes, Nino could totally imagine the scene, and it felt like… Home.

They almost had finished cooking when someone knocked on the door. And not patiently. Sho rushed to open it, and he got petrified when he saw the man.

"Dad…" he whispered with a hint of fear. What was his dad doing there? Well, he already knew about his intentions for sure, and looking at his face, he was not happy at all.

"What is happening in your life, Sho?" he shouted. "First, you came with that stupid idea of becoming like a human, and now one of your stray cats try to steal at the temple!"

He was angry. Sho only saw him that angry once before, when he told him he wanted to live on his own and not follow the family tradition to take care of the temple. Wait a minute, what did he just said? "Who did what?"

“Aiba-kun. He sneaked into the temple basement and tried to leave with something hidden in his yukata. Thanks to the gods, the monks caught him before he ran away, and now he is held prisoner there. The trial is tomorrow morning, at eleven. Don't be late," he warned, and as he appeared, he decided to leave, too angry to discuss anything else.

“What the fuck…” What the fuck was Aiba thinking? Sho was so shocked he could not even speak properly.

“Told ya. Do not leave Aiba-chan unsupervised," Nino muttered with patience. Sho should know by now he didn’t have a good idea at all.

“I’m leaving. I should go and…”

"They won't let you see him." Nino interrupted Sho. "Your dad told you to be there tomorrow because he thinks you can help," he guessed. The man was angry but he also took the time to go there just so they knew the situation. "Let's supper, enjoy Oh-chan tonight, and tomorrow we'll solve tomorrow's problem."

“Hey, it’s Ohno-san," Ohno corrected him. Nino raised an eyebrow. "Uhm… Oh-chan sounds nice," he accepted. 

--

Sho was already awake when the sun raised. He was worried, not knowing what was going to happen to Aiba. He had never heard about anyone being as irresponsible and daring to steal at the temple, so had no clue of what could be the punishment.

“You awake?” a sleepy Ohno asked when Sho moved nervously on the bed.

"I don't want to be late." If he could sleep it was thanks to having Ohno by his side. Sho softly smiled and gave his man a kiss. "Sorry. We've just made up, and I am in a rush today."

"Don't apologize." If Sho understood a word in the middle of Ohno’s yawn was by pure chance. "Wake me up 5 minutes before leaving," he asked, covering himself again with the sheets and falling asleep in less than two seconds.

Sho petted his hair and left the bedroom. Nino was also awake and had a coffee ready for him.

“You’re also worried?” Sho asked while smelling the coffee. It had a subtle scent of cinnamon.

“Nope. I’m sure Aiba has an innocent and stupid explanation for what he was doing. No one will blame him, and no one will go further than scolding him for being an airhead, don't worry." Nino only woke up because he knew for sure that Sho would be nervous. He was like a worried mommy. "Any idea about why he did that?”

Sho shook his head, but that was not surprising. No one could ever imagine what was going on in Aiba’s head. They had a couple of hours to fill, so Nino made Sho a short report about what he had been doing these days to keep him distracted.

“Stop overthinking. Jun-kun is a good boy," Ohno's voice came from behind, and Sho looked at him, trying to hide how concerned he was.

Ohno gave Sho a gentle kiss on his furrowed brows and sat next to him, eating breakfast.

They arrived early at the temple but weren't allowed to see Aiba. The monks were very serious, not to mention the strict kitsunes, and Sho's father among them. So, they had to wait in a large and luxurious room until the trial finally started.

Doors opened, and Aiba appeared, looking too lifeless to be him. At least until he saw them.

“Nino!” he totally forgot he was a prisoner and tried to go and hug his beloved friend with the happiest smile. Of course, the guards didn’t allow him, so he sat on the dock and listened as one of the kitsunes explained the facts.

Nino was sure that that was the less serious trial any of them had seen. Aiba was pouting and complaining constantly. When they accused him of being irreverent with Inari Goddess, he assured them he was one of the best students in the temple. Maybe not the one with the best marks, but the one who put his whole heart into studying, he swore.

When they said he tried to steal, he assured them he was just borrowing a book. The judge warned Aiba he was being disrespectful by constantly interrupting, and Aiba replied the disrespectful ones were them, lying all time. Nino tried not to laugh, but it was quite difficult, and he ended up with the warning that he would be expelled if he didn't behave.

In the end, it was Aiba’s turn to talk, and he explained that he only wanted to help Sho. Not the best way to start as Sho almost had a heart attack when he knew it was because of him. It turned out that, during their lessons, Aiba and Kazama learned from one of the oldest monks about a different ceremony practiced in ancient times for Inari's kitsunes who truly fell in love with a human.

It was said that there was a way for kitsunes to share their years of life with the human they loved, but it was too dangerous, and the ceremony passed into oblivion. The monk also said it was only a legend he heard as a teenager and that was probably not true. But if there was the slightest chance of being true, Aiba couldn’t set that aside.

That’s why he and Kazama tried to learn more about myths and legends, and they found out that the most valuable and old books were kept in the basement. If there was any clue about the ceremony, then it should have been there. That’s how he ended up sneaking in the basement, finding out the correct book, and trying to take it with him.

"I only wanted to make a copy of the ceremony and return it to its place," he concluded with self-confidence.

The judge stared at him. “Are you kidding me?” All this mess for pursuing a stupid legend? That was the most ridiculous excuse he had ever heard.

Aiba looked so confused that it was even funny. "Not kidding, Sir. I can show you the page with the ceremony if you lend me the book."

The judge’s face showed that he believed that Aiba was trying to make a fool out of him. Sho wanted to intercede before the man got angrier, but his father surprised him by talking first.

"If I am allowed to talk, Sir," obviously, it was just a formality. He was the most important kitsune there, so he could take part in any issue regarding the temple. "Aiba-kun can be accused of being stupid but not of being a thief."

"Oi," Aiba protested but closed his mouth when Sho’s dad gave him a steady gaze.

After a short talk with all the involved people, the judge declared Aiba innocent. He, however, should do some extra tasks for the monks as compensation for his impulsive behavior, but that was nothing compared to what his punishment could have been.

The situation was still tense, but Sho was more relaxed when he could finally talk to Aiba. He was still trying to decide if he should scold him or thank him when his father approached.

"Is this the human?" was his simple question.

"Yes." Sho unconsciously moved to put Ohno behind his back, as if he had to protect him.

"He is a man," his father added.

"He is," Sho confirmed unnecessarily, begging for Nino not to come with a witty reply about his father's visual capacities. Thanks to the gods, he bit his tongue for once. 

“Do you love him?” the question came so serious and lacking emotion that it gave goosebumps to Sho.

"I do," he assured without hesitation.

His father remained thoughtful for a few endless seconds. "I see. If you really love him, come home. I'll show you the ceremony. But it was kept a secret for a reason," he stared at Aiba, who had the decency to show a guilty expression. "It may seem a better option than our traditional ceremony. You don't lose all your magic lifetime, but you share it with your beloved one instead. Half of your life for you, half of your life for him. However, if you are not truly loved back, you'll die. You will lose all your lifetime, and the human will receive it all. Many kitsunes were tricked in the past, losing their lives at the hands of selfish humans. Humans haunted innocent foxes, made them fall in love, and stole their lifetime. That's why it was decided to make the ceremony disappear." He made a pause to look at his son. "Are you confident enough to try? Are you sure he is not playing with you as humans do, and he really loves you?"

"I am," Sho confirmed.

Almost at the same time, Ohno’s offended voice echoed loud and clear. "Excuse me, Sir, but I’m not playing around. I love Sho, and I’m not asking him to share anything else than his love with me," he answered back.

Sho’s father frowned. He was not used to being talked back like this, but finally, he nodded in acceptance. He stared at his son. "Come home from time to time," he asked of him. "Your mother misses you, you know? You can bring that weird family you've found," he offered before saying goodbye and coming back to his job.

Sho watched him as he left with a hint of a smile. In the end, his father was not as strict as he thought.

He caught Aiba in a hug. "I'm gonna hit you if you do something stupid again," he assured before taking his way home. Aiba and Nino were endless babbling, so Sho took the chance to stay a few steps behind with Ohno and held his hand. "So… What about this? Half of my life is a lot of years to love you. Enough years for both," he proposed cautiously. 

"Probably. But we will talk about it later," was the evasive reply.

“When will that ‘later’ be?” Sho wanted to know.

"I don't know. Maybe when I got my first white hair," was Ohno's simple reply, looking at Sho with a gentle smile. They were together now, so nothing else mattered at all.

--

It had been three days, three long days since he left Jun's house. The first one, he stayed at Sho’s because Aiba made a big mess. The second one, he stayed there because they were his family, and he wanted to spend time with them now that everything was happy and going smoothly again. And the third one…The third one, he stayed because he was a scaredy-cat.

He realized something since the very first night: he didn't like to sleep without Jun. He tried not to think about it, but after tossing and turning around in his bed, he realized how much he missed Jun’s warmth, his smell, and the way he slipped an arm around his waist. And just after admitting he liked Jun, Nino realized that he had gotten into danger by himself.

All he wanted to do was to run away. However, he had promised Jun he would come back so he could not avoid the situation forever. Not even if he was scared of what those feelings meant. So, the next morning, Nino reassured Sho that he didn't need to worry about him and set off toward the village.

The guards were accustomed to seeing Nino with Matsumoto-san, so they allowed him to enter with a formal salute as if he was part of the house. Probably those were their orders, and that idea put a smile on his face. He couldn't see Jun from the garden. Not that he expected to have Jun waiting for him at the entrance, but he usually took a short break and wandered around the house at mid-morning. He only skipped his routine when he had meetings, so Nino figured that he must have been working.

Nino headed towards Jun's bedroom and started to think that maybe something was happening because maids and other workers were running back and forth, totally stressed. He was about to ask someone when Toma suddenly intercepted him and rushed to Jun’s room, pulling his arm.

“You’re back!”

Nino couldn't distinguish if he was happy or annoyed, but he was clearly excited. "Yeah. Something happened?"

Toma totally ignored his question and made him enter the room. "And you are a kitsune."

"I'm glad your brain is working properly and remembering important information," Nino snarky praised him. Jun was not in his bedroom, so Nino was convinced something was going on. "Are you gonna tell me?”

"Jun's parents are here. He's been delaying it as much as possible, but Matsumoto-san’s father has lost his patience, and he's not accepting another postponement. That's why I was considering a hare-brained plan," he explained, pointing at the bed as he finished speaking.

Nino looked there and saw a beautiful and sumptuous white kimono with blue flowers. "But you are here, and you are a kitsune," he muttered in relief.

"You know I am not getting anything, don't you? So, try again, in a way the other living beings can understand you," Nino asked. Despite his words, he talked with patience, as he often had to do that kind of thing with Aiba and was used to waiting until he cleared his mind.

Toma frowned, but he was so worried that didn't even complain. "Jun should be married by now. He is not really interested though, so he had given plenty of excuses to delay the omiai. A few years ago, he convinced his parents to allow him to marry for love, and they have not insisted until now. I was going to ask one of the maids to pass herself as his fiancé, but you are here and…"

"No," Nino interrupted. He could see where this conversation was heading, and he was not willing to do that.

"There's no other way to avoid the arranged marriage. His father is right, he is old enough to be married, and people in the city are starting to gossip." Toma crossed his arms on his chest and stared at Nino. "Do you want him married to an unknown woman?" Nino's face was a clear reply, even when he tried to stay apathetic. "I knew it," Toma smirked.

"I hate you," mumbled Nino as he walked towards the bed and the damn kimono.

--

"Dear," Jun's mother softly touched her husband's hand, avoiding the discussion to heat up and resulting in a battle. Both her husband and her son were so stubborn that it couldn't go well. "You promised not to shout at him."

"It's not only you. It is the whole Matsumoto surname you are bringing into question," Jun's father complained. "I've been patient because you were young, but you should have had at least two kids by now, damn it!”

Luckily for everybody, the door opened before Jun could open his mouth.

“Sorry to interrupt your discussion, Matsumoto-san, but she insisted on coming,” Toma talked to Jun with that perfect formality he only showed him in front of others.

"She?" Jun looked in disbelief at the girl who, politely and well-mannered, kept her gaze on the floor.

"Excuse my boldness," the girl's voice was an apology itself, so soft and shy. Elegant, she approached Jun with the subtle rustle of the silk kimono as she walked. She stopped at his side and sat in the chair next to his. Jun clearly became tense when the girl touched his arm. "I thought it would be better if I came."

Okay... Jun was sure that the woman was trying to help, and she was doing what she was doing due to some complicated plan Toma and Shun came up with. But all of them were crazy if they believed he would bear that kind of personal touching.

“Oi, don’t…”

"Ah, don't scare me like that, sweetie." The girl didn’t allow him to complain and totally ignored his angry face. Instead, she kindly smiled at him. "I know you want to do things at your own pace, but you can’t keep me hidden forever, Jun-pon," she added, at the same time as she touched Jun's nose with her index finger in an intimate gesture.

Jun's mouth dropped for a second as he gave a second glance at the girl. His facial features were slightly different, and his hair was really long, but those eyes and that sassy smile… "Kazu!?" he practically shouted.

“Of course it's me," Nino smirked so very much like him that Jun had no doubt. "Do you keep anyone else hidden in your bedroom?"

Jun blushed instantly and looked at his parents. How did he dare say that in front of them? They must be getting the wrong idea. "It's not what…" he shook his head. It wasn't even worth it making up a pretext. "Would you excuse us for a moment?" he asked his parents politely, taking Nino with him. He also grabbed Toma’s arm and went with them across the room. "Are you insane?" he questioned.

“Keep your voice down," Toma demanded. "You needed an emergency plan, and Nino just showed up."

"You should be grateful I'm saving your ass," Nino agreed with a presumptuous grin.

Jun looked again at Nino. Well, apparently, he totally looked like a woman, but still… “It’s not gonna work," he claimed.

"Relax and listen to Toma for once. Kitsunes can become the perfect wife. It's naturally in our blood, so stop worrying and let me be my charming me," Nino asked with that soft voice he knew very well how to use against him.

In a very feminine gesture, Nino stood on his tiptoes and kissed Jun’s cheek. Jun exhaled deeply. Nino being “his charming self” was what worried him the most, but as they were there, and his parents clearly wanted to know more about him… rather, her… Or whatever he was at that moment... There they go.

“Sorry for Jun-san’s rude behavior." Nino perfectly bowed his head. "He didn't expect to see me here. It is totally my fault. I am Ninomiya Kazu… ko," he corrected himself at the last moment. "But friends and family call me Ninomi, so please, feel free to use it."

Jun's father was tense, but he relaxed a bit with the girl’s proper manners. "Sit, Ninomi," he ordered, and Nino immediately did it, "Explain to me why this is the first time I hear of you."

“Oh, this…” Nino blushed and looked away, embarrassed. "This is because I am no one," he shyly replied. He looked for Toma with his eyes. The soldier should have a story on hand for the maid, and besides, it would be more socially acceptable if Ninomi didn’t talk much.

Toma cleared his throat. "Ninomiya-san is a woman from the village. Her father was a merchant who passed away some months ago. She was alone, so she asked Matsumoto-san for help about what to do with her father’s business. Your son has always been really involved in the villager’s welfare, so he gave her some advice and…" Toma didn't finish the story, but everybody could imagine a happy ending where they fell in love.

Nino elbowed Jun trying to make him react. He should say something. It would be strange for one of the people involved to remain silent as he was.

“Please stop talking about embarrassing things," Jun asked Toma as if he was exposing something really personal. 

"I see. But that's not a reply to my question," Jun's father insisted. "I never heard about any of this before."

"My bad," Nino apologized again. "I told Jun-san I am really honored with his feelings, but he should look for someone according to his social status…" he lowered his head in sadness.

“Well, at his age, I am willing to take practically any woman as long as his marriage takes place so that all that gossip ends." Matsumoto’s father assured.

"Oi, I am not that old," Jun complained, offended.

"Well… you are, sweetie," Nino agreed with a mischievous smile. They were probably the same age, but he looked around ten years younger than Jun, so Nino couldn't help but tease him. He realized a second too late he should have bitten his tongue though, as probably perfect wives didn’t make fun of their hubbies.

Suddenly, Jun’s father burst out laughing. "I like her, Jun. She is well-mannered but also witty. She will help you to have your feet on the ground. And she is also a real beauty," he added, clearly pleased with Ninomi. "I will give you some time. I understand that only a few months after your father's death is too soon to talk about marriage," the man showed his understanding of the girl's situation. "Well, let's move. Your mother wants to see the pretty roses of your garden up close," he informed as he stood up, making everybody head outside. It was a pretty sunny day, so staying inside would have been a waste.

--

Jun closed his bedroom door behind him and leaned his head against the door, closing his eyes and sighing deeply. "I can't believe it worked." Probably they only got some extra time, but for now, it was enough for him. He opened his eyes to look at Nino, who was a couple of steps away from him. "What's this?" he asked, stretching out an arm to grab a strand of Nino’s long hair.

“You needed a woman for some hours, so I became one," explained with a shrug.

Jun wrinkled his nose. "I don't like it," he stated with displeasure. Not that he had anything against that look. Indeed, Nino was cute as a girl too, but it was not his Nino. "I like the real you better," Jun muttered without even realizing he had said it out loud.

Jun's words sounded so sincere and spontaneous that they made Nino's heart skip a beat, though he immediately hid it with a laugh. He changed his appearance to his real one, tail and ears included, as he got closer to Jun, putting a smile on his face. "I like you too, Jun-kun," he purred as he slid his hands behind Jun’s neck.

Jun jumped when he felt his touch. Nino was close… so close… Why did he always allow Nino to get that close? And he had just said something… Jun tried to get his brain back to work, which was proving quite hard as he felt Nino's fingers tickling at the back of his neck. Fuck. Did Nino just say he liked him? He felt a shiver run up his spine and wasn't sure if it was from Nino's playful caresses or from what Nino had just said. Not that Jun was interested in liking him, but… Somehow it sounded nice. Really nice.

Or at least that's what he thought until he looked at Nino. That smug smile on his face… Nino was playing again with him, and it was not funny this time. Well, it was his fault for speaking without thinking. "I didn't mean it like that," he complained, looking for a way out of the mess he’d gotten himself into. No, he was never ever in his life going to admit in front of Nino that maybe, perhaps, probably… He liked him a little. Or maybe a lot. "I meant…" but Nino put a finger to his lips, hushing him.

“Are you going to tell me you haven't missed me?" Nino softly asked.

"Absolutely not," Jun lied through his teeth. Nino raised an eyebrow, not believing a single word.

“I see." Nino slowly moved his hands down Jun's sides until he reached his waist. "Are you going to tell me you don't like me?" he requested, slipping his arms inside Jun's kimono, hugging him as he let his hands rest on his back.

"I don't," he claimed. It was obvious for the both of them that he was lying, but Jun expected Nino to stop asking.

"Okay," Nino mumbled. "Are you also going to tell me that you haven't thought of kissing me once again?" he sharply asked.

"Not once," Jun obstinately insisted. No, he was never going to admit that he was a stupid man who stupidly fell in love with an insolent, snarky, irritating kitsune.

“You’re so annoyingly stubborn," Nino complained, and not giving Jun time to reply, kissed him.

It was not an innocent kiss. It was deep, wet, and long. Nino invaded Jun's mouth, who took a few seconds to react but finally kissed him back. A hungry and intense kiss that let his feelings out. In a second, they were a mishmash of caresses over their clothes. Nino's skilled fingers easily untied Jun’s obi and pushed his kimono aside. Jun gasped as Nino's fingers began to explore his back. He was sure that the situation was crazy and he had totally lost his mind, but he didn't care. He didn't care at all. All Jun cared about was the man in front of him and his restless hands on his body.

Impatient, he picked Nino up in his arms and carried him to the bed. They were still sharing those eager kisses when Jun finally reached Nino’s obi and tried to remove it. Not a big success, to be honest, which made Jun grunt and Nino laugh.

“For someone who doesn’t like me and it’s not thinking about kissing me, that's pretty intense, Jun-kun," Nino pointed out as he untied the obi himself.

"Shut up," was Jun's simple reply, and just in case he had another snarky comment at hand, Jun kissed him again.

Everything became hot and intense as their clothes continued to slowly fall to one side of the bed until both were completely naked, bare skin against bare skin. Nino's breathing quickened when Jun’s hands gained confidence and began exploring his body. He narrowed his eyes, observing Jun's perfect features and the deep eyes that riveted him. Jun leaned towards him, and Nino could feel the wet touch of his mouth on his jaw, a soft kiss followed by the drag of his teeth down his neck, the light nibble that gain a slight moan from him.

At that moment, he realized that he was totally in Jun's hands. His heart was beating like crazy, as were the butterflies in his stomach. No one made him feel like that before, and he had to admit he had deeply fallen for that man.

Nino let Jun take the lead and spread kisses all over his body. He bit his lower lip when he felt Jun's tongue playing in his navel, moving downwards. He tried to keep his breathing steady when Jun started touching his crotch, but his fingers were so hot and so damn suggestive that he soon began to moan.

Jun gasped when he heard the cute, sensual sounds Nino let out, and his erection became fully hard. He was mesmerized by those sounds and the subtle blush on Nino’s cheeks. He wanted to hear him whine like that forever. He wanted to make him moan even more. He slowly slid his hand toward the small of Nino’s back, softly caressing that intimate zone. He noticed that Nino had moved and was sitting up on his elbows, so he looked at him.

“Jun,” Nino called him, and the soft purr on Nino’s voice sent shivers through his spine, “What are you doing?”

The question threw Jun totally off guard. "I…" he didn't even know what to reply. Perhaps he had gotten carried away with the situation, and he was going too fast. He had only followed his instinct, one that told him he had enough of trying to hide his feelings and only wanted to show Nino how much he loved him. But the last thing he wanted was to pressure Nino. “I’m sorry, if you are not ready, I understand—”

“I am ready,” Nino assured, “What I meant was… What makes you think that you are going to top?” he asked. Yeah, he might love Jun, but that didn’t mean he’d stop teasing him.

Nino tried to hide his grin when Jun’s brows furrowed. To be frank, he did not mind at all being either top or bottom, but listening to Jun protest was so amusing that he couldn't help but push him a little more. “You’ve just said you like the real me. And the real me is a boy, do you remember?” he murmured playfully.

Nino expected a growl from Jun, or a murderous glare, maybe even a punch. He was ready to apologize and allow him to do whatever he wanted, but Jun just stared at him for several seconds.

“O… O.K.” Jun shyly agreed with cheeks flushed.

Nino blinked twice. Did Jun just agree? He knew Jun was proud and used to being in control, and he wanted things done his way. How sweet of him was to spoil him like that?

Before realizing it, Nino jumped on him and kissed Jun so deeply and intensely that both fell again on the bed. Nino felt Jun’s hands on the nape of his neck, deepening the kiss, moving avidly over his back. Never in his life had Nino thought about falling in love, but all he could think about now was how much he wanted to make love to the man in his arms.

Nino abandoned Jun’s mouth to play with his body, looking for the spots that made him shiver, gently playing with Jun’s skin with his sharp fox fangs or caressing it with his warm tongue. He didn’t stop when he arrived at his groin and licked his cock, making Jun release a hoarse shout. Nino didn’t expect it and felt his own erection pulsing in reply. He did it again, and sucked the tip, and dragged his teeth along all the length, coaxing small moans. Jun was distracted enough, so Nino moved a hand towards his back and cautiously touched his entrance.

“Wait,” Jun asked.

Ah, so they were finally going to change positions, Nino thought. He didn’t mind, so he calmly stood up. He was ready for Jun to take the lead, but he just pointed at the nightstand table.

"There's some oil in there... Shun mistakenly thought that you and I had a romantic relationship and gave it to me," Jun explained. "I thought about correcting him and throwing it back at him, but in the end, I didn't."

“So,” Nino was unable to contain his grin, “You’ve been thinking about me after all,” he stated.

Jun's eyes widened, and he blushed as he realized he'd been caught. "I didn't mean—" he tried to excuse himself, but gave up in the end. "Maybe I missed you more than I wanted to," he conceded.

Nino laughed and gave Jun a quick kiss before opening the drawer to get the oil. He spread it on his fingers. “Then I should stay here forever, so you don’t miss me again,” he proposed with his softest voice, making Jun's heart beat like crazy.

A few minutes later, the room filled with Jun's halting sighs. He was a bit tense when Nino first touched him, but he knew how to relax him. He played with him, sometimes barely touching his inner thighs, other times mischievously licking his lower belly, sometimes slightly biting the sensitive spots of his erection only to finish by taking it fully into his mouth.

“Kazu,” Jun moaned his name in the sweetest way when he was ready for more, urging him to stop teasing around his entrance and touching him for real.

Nino soon began playing inside Jun’s body, slowly and gently at first, increasing the pace as Jun's moans rose in intensity. Nino knew Jun was already ready, but he was so cute shaking his hips and begging for more that he kept touching and licking and giving him pleasure until Jun was on the verge of an orgasm. Two times he played that game only to stop when Jun thought he could finally reach his climax.

“Kazu,” Jun called him, losing his patience, "I want you now.”

That time Jun was not begging, he was giving him a clear order. Not that he cared about that, as himself was hard and hot, and couldn't wait to become one with him. He moved and looked Jun into the eyes, positioning his erection against him. He pressed a bit, but he didn't want to be too rough, so he waited for some kind of signal that told him that Jun was ready.

"I said now," Jun remarked in a hoarse, excited voice.

What a demanding master he had, thought Nino, amused at his impatience. But it was impossible not to obey him, so Nino slid inside him in one deep thrust. For a moment, they looked into each other’s eyes as if nothing else mattered. Then Jun slightly pressed his fingers against Nino’s back, and everything became hot, wet, and intense.

Both moved their hands lively, exploring, touching, caressing, determined to fix in their memory every detail of the other’s body, until the smallest one. Their hips danced in perfect harmony to a melody only they could hear, sometimes slow and soft so that they could feel each other completely, sometimes so fast and pleasurably that their bodies trembled.

 Nino's thrusts were getting faster, in rhythm with Jun's hips, making them reach the point of no return. Nino knew they wouldn't last long, so he moved his left hand to touch Jun's pulsing erection. In response, he felt a slight pain in the shoulder, and it took him a few seconds to realize Jun had just bitten him, trying to keep under control the loud moans that wanted to escape his throat during the orgasm. That made Nino smile. Even in that situation, was he trying to stay composed?

He tried to make a witty remark, but just then he could feel Jun’s warm insides pressing harder against him. “Jun” was all he was able to moan in a choked voice.

Nino took several seconds to recover from the intense pleasure, and when he did, he felt Jun's fingers lazily stroking his back, from the nape of his neck to the point where his foxy tail began. That made him smile, and it was so pleasurable that he didn't want to move, but he couldn't lie on top of Jun forever.

He moved and laid next to him, smiling widely. “I guess you can no longer deny that you like me, Jun-pon,” he teased him before placing a quick kiss on Jun’s lips.

Jun tilted his head to one side with a thoughtful expression. “It’s not that I like you,” he contradicted. “It is more like I love you,” he sincerely confessed.

Nino was expecting a complaint from Jun, so he was caught off guard by his reply. He felt an intense heat rising in his cheeks until he was bright red.

How had his life changed so much in such a short time? If someone had asked him a few days ago, he would have said smart foxes do not fall in love. Indeed, he probably still thought so, but… Who wanted to be smart when one could be stupidly and happily in love?

He leaned on an elbow, looking carefully at Jun. Yes, he was definitely in love with him. He could now understand Sho’s feelings and the absurd things he wanted to do. Would he be so brave? Would he dare to give up half his life in exchange for more time with Jun? Their eyes met, and he knew the answer. A human life was not enough time to be with him. He couldn’t help but laugh when he remembered Ohno’s words about waiting until his first gray hair appeared. He and Jun were still young, so they might as well wait a bit.

“What are you laughing at?” asked Jun. Nino seemed happy with his confession, so he didn't think he was laughing about his feelings, but still, it was annoying. He was hoping for some kind of response.

“I'm trying to imagine you with gray hair," was Nino's confusing answer.

“What the heck does that mean?” questioned Jun.

Nino's cheerful, honest laughter filled the room. “That means I love you too,” he said.

Jun didn't understand a word, and it was probably for the best, so he simply smiled back at Nino. He had just said he loved him too, so nothing else mattered. Nino settled into the crook of Jun's neck, hugging him tightly. He couldn’t help but smile happily. From now on, he would have plenty of time to love Jun, Nino thought. And, of course, to tease him.

Comments

[mikunicchi]

aaa!!! dear anon thank you!!!
I am just reserving my place and will be back with a proper comment!!!!


Dear Anon, I am back with my full comment!!
First I would like to apologize for being this late, work has gotten crazy this week and I couldn't find any time to write this comment!

First of all: I love it! Thank you for writing this fic for me!
I always love the Kitsune!Nino because it suits him so well to be a kitsune lol I also love how you incarporated all the elements.
I love Jun's character in this. He was a very fair ruler and I love how he choose not to punish the little girl for stealing food. Also, Nino but he was just being mischiveous.
Nino and Jun's relationship progressed beautifully. I especially love the realization Nino came to when he realized that he loved Jun.
Also, I am loving yama as a side pairing 🥺 they were so lovely together! I am glad they found a way to work things together really! And I am so glad that they didn't break up hahaha
That being said, I also love how Sho, Aiba and Nino become a family together. Sometimes the blood relation doesn't matter with who you call as family. They were really great!

Thank you for choosing this prompt and writing this story for me! I loved it very very much!!!!

[astrangestorm]

I liked Nino's found family with Sho and Aiba, and I felt sorry for Nino feeling abandoned again when Sho found someone he truly loves. I'm glad that Nino was able to fix things in the end, to encourage Sho and Ohno to be together. It seemed very in character for Ohno to stay away and not want to do anything to hurt Sho. I like that Aiba was also doing his part to let Sho and Ohno be together, even if it ended up getting him in trouble.

I also liked how Nino and Jun's relationship developed, with Nino mostly teasing at first but then Jun giving in repeatedly to let Nino share his bed with him. I like that Jun was such a softie in this story, unable to resist Nino's charms.

[whenyoudesertme]

This is so sweet! I love Nino's point of view here. His family, his suspicions of Ohno and how he comes to accept him, and the slow, unexpected way he falls for Jun. This is a lovely world with fun characters and relationships and I enjoyed every bit of it. Thank you for sharing! ♥

[reveetoile]

Aww, how adorable.
Kitsune are super cute, and Nino has to be the cutest Kitsune there can be.

The story was wonderfully written. I loved the flow and how Jun and Nino fell for each other without realising at first and then missing each other so deeply until they were honest to themselves, not without a bit of pushing of others, but that seems to fit the two stubborn men the best.

Thank you for creating such a wonderful story anon

[(Anonymous)]

oh!!!! anon!!!!! i have not stopped thinking of this fic since i first read it. i absolutely adore this so so much, you've captured all of them so well, especially the nino/jun banter <333

the line “'I'm trying to imagine you with gray hair,' was Nino's confusing answer." literally made my heart turn into mush, do you realize how absolutely soft that made me!!!! i love you

anyways. i can't express how much i love something in words, i'm not great at it, so i hope it's okay that i made art of kitsune nino. again, i absolutely loved this so much and i /needed/ to draw nino lmao

i tweeted it here (https://twitter.com/jupitermochii/status/1461547531272392709?s=20) but if needs to be taken down, just lmk when you can lol <3